OPPORTUNITY ORIENTATION AND MARKETING PERFORMANCE OF MICRO-FINANCE BANKS IN PORTHARCOURT

Abstract

This study examined the association between opportunity orientation and marketing performance of Microfinance banks in Rivers state. The study adopted a cross sectional survey research design. The population of the study is made up of Eighteen (18)microfinance banks that are insured by the Nigerian Deposit Insurance company (NDIC), and operating in Rivers State, Nigeria.. Given this small population size, which is less than thirty (30), a census study was undertaken. The study utilized structured questionnaire in collecting primary data. A total of seventy two (72) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the managers of microfinance banks under study. Out of the sixty six (66) copies of the questionnaire returned, only sixty four (64) of them were utilized in data analysis. The Spearman Rank-order correlation technique was employed as the test statistic. The bivariate correlation analysis was carried out on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study concluded that opportunity orientation significantly influences marketing performance of the studied microfinance banks, in terms of growth in sales and Customer Base. These findings suggest that microfinance institutions should foster an opportunity-oriented culture in order to increase their sales and customer base, as these can lead to increased profitability and long term sustainability.